1898 (China Through the Eyes of a British Woman)

Author: (English) Isabella Bird
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2007-01-01
Features: The English title of this book is The Yangtze Valley and Beyond, which is a travelogue of China by British traveler Isabella Bird (1831–1904). It is based on her field investigations in the Yangtze River Basin and Sichuan-Tibet region, providing firsthand information to the British Church and commercial groups about the "sphere of influence" of Great Britain. The translator named it "1898: A British Woman’s View of China" to make it clear at a glance that it is an old book from a century ago, covering the late Qing society of China. The late Qing period was a time when Chinese society was transitioning from a traditional agrarian society to a modern industrial society. During this period, the economic structure of traditional Chinese agrarian society was gradually changing. From this book, it can be seen that while self-sufficient economies still dominated the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River, the proportion of commodity economy in the lower reaches, especially in coastal areas, was steadily increasing. The supporting systems of commodity economy, such as banks, credit, financial insurance, were already well-developed, and Shanghai had become an Eastern financial capital, "holding an important position among the world's largest commercial centers, with import and export values reaching 37,680,875 pounds in 1898." Along the Yangtze River, the trading ports of Wuhu and Jiujiang each had their own fleets, with annual trade volumes reaching millions of pounds. Major cities such as Nanjing, Yangzhou, and Anqing had highly organized commercial and social lives, chambers of commerce, and charitable organizations, and a glance was enough to see that businesses were thriving." Hangzhou had also become a silk capital with "7,000 handlooms for silk weaving," providing long-term employment for "tens of thousands of people." In late 19th-century China, modern enterprises such as factories, railways, steamships, and docks emerged one after another, and the modern economic system had taken shape. This change in economic structure led to a series of significant changes in the late Qing society in various fields such as economy, politics, and culture. However, the transformation of the late Qing society was not driven from within but was rather a reluctant response under external coercion, lacking institutional construction adapted to the modern economic system. Additionally, traditional culture failed to transform into a spiritual driving force supporting modernization in China, resulting in immense resistance to social transformation. The late Qing society was plagued by corrupt governance, the sale of official positions, widespread bribery, and increasingly sharp class and national contradictions. During the author’s travels along the Yangtze River, China had just suffered a defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War and signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki, with the entire society filled with anti-foreign and exclusionist nationalism. China was on the brink of the Boxer Rebellion, and at this time, the Qing Dynasty’s ideological, political, economic, and cultural systems functional failures, which ultimately led to the collapse of the Qing government. Studying, learning from, and drawing lessons from the failures of the late Qing social transformation is undoubtedly a meaningful topic. "1898: A British Woman’s View of China" was completed against this backdrop of social upheaval. It was hailed by British media upon its first publication in the UK as "providing firsthand materials for the formation of public opinion on China and China-related issues" (Preface by the Author), becoming an important document for the West to understand China at the time. Lady Isabella Bird’s journey along the Yangtze River and Sichuan-Tibet region lasted 15 months, covering over 5,000 miles. She experienced the rapids and of the Three Gorges, trekked through the towering mountains in eastern and western Sichuan, passed through the fertile Chengdu Plain, and crossed the snow-capped mountains of Sichuan-Tibet at altitudes of 4,000 to 5,000 meters. After enduring countless hardships, she returned to Britain and wrote this book based on her diaries and sketches, attaching 113 photographs taken along the way (to more vividly reflect the era and social customs of the time, the editors added over a dozen precious historical photographs when publishing this book). The book is richly illustrated and serves as a valuable reference for studying the late Qing society. Lady Isabella’s travel route in the Yangtze River and Sichuan-Tibet region can be divided into seven stages. Stage one, she traveled by local wooden boats from Shanghai to Hangzhou, passing through Shaoxing and Ningbo before returning to Shanghai (chapters 1–3). Stage two, she took foreign steamships from Shanghai via Zhenjiang, Wuhu, and Jiujiang to Hankou, and then from Hankou to Shashi and finally to Yichang (chapters 4–9). Stage three, she traveled by sailboat from Yichang, passing through the magnificent Three Gorges, passing through Fengjie (Chuifu), Yunyang, and arriving in Wanzhou (chapters 10–16). Stage four, she traveled overland from Wanzhou via Liangping (Liangshan County), Qucheng, Yingshan, Nanbu, and arriving in Langzhong (Baoning Prefecture), then via Cangxi, Jianjiang, Zitong, Mianyang, Pengxian, and Guanxian to Chengdu (chapters 18–28). Stage five, she traveled from Guanxian via Wenchuan (Weizhou, Lifan Prefecture), Lixian (Zagunao), Miyaluo to in Ma’erkang, and then returned to Chengdu from (chapters 29–34). Stage six, she traveled by "Wubang boats" (small boats with bamboo awnings, resembling a fish, called "Wubang" by Sichuan locals) along the Min River downstream from Chengdu, passing through Meishan, Leshan (Jiadingshu Prefecture), Yibin (Xufu Prefecture), Luzhou, and arriving in Chongqing (chapters 35–37). Stage seven was the return journey, where she bought a boat in Chongqing and traveled eastward to Shanghai. In the book, the author records her observations along the way in the order of her travel destinations, while also offering commentary. These comments seem spontaneous but were carefully chosen and arranged. Although Isabella once suffered an attack by "mob" and had terrifying experiences of being in dire straits, she maintained a calm, rational, and objective attitude toward everything around her. Through her cultural perspective, we can appreciate the author’s extraordinary observational skills. The book describes the scenery, historical sites, customs, and folk traditions along the way with beautiful and sincere prose, especially the vivid descriptions of the magnificent landscapes of the Three Gorges and the Sichuan-Tibet region, which make the reader yearn for the experience. Westerners who studied the Yangtze River were often inspired by this vast and mighty river with its grand scale and abundant resources, sparking exploration and adventure. During this period, many explorers emerged, publishing a series of works such as "The Central Empire," "China’s Western Journey," "Through the Three Gorges," "Upper Jinsha River," and "Upper Yangtze River" to introduce and study the Yangtze River Basin. However, facing the rolling, Yangtze, Isabella believed that "it would be a mistake to write about the Yangtze Valley without involving such an important factor as its inhabitants." Therefore, her research focused more on the human and social aspects. During her journey, she extensively interacted with people from all strata of Chinese society: officials, scholars, merchants, petty officials, soldiers, farmers, laborers, beggars, boatmen, sedan bearers, jiangmen laborers, philanthropists, Chinese Christians, Tibetan lords, and lamas. Her observations covered various aspects of late Qing society, including politics, economy, religion, education, transportation, folklore, foreign trade, urban construction, charitable work, medical aid, the spread of Christianity in China, and the prevalence of opium in China. Contemporary reviews praised the book for "conveying the true impression of this country and its people." It is worth noting that the author lived in the late 19th century, and her thoughts were filled with sympathy for China and concern for the lower classes, which was rare at the time. Of course, she was not living in a vacuum and was inevitably influenced by the dominant British imperialist ideology of her time, and her writings occasionally revealed colonialist perspectives, which were the limitations of her era, and we should not hold her to modern standards. In the main text of the book, the translator has already added some annotations, but it is still necessary to remind readers to pay attention when reading the book. Lady Isabella came to China in 1896 as a 65-year-old woman suffering from "hyperlipidemic heart weakness," pulmonary infections, gout, and "periodic spinal weakness" among other illnesses, yet she traveled across the ocean and braved the turbulent waves of the Yangtze, delving into the remote regions of Sichuan-Tibet, and wrote tens of thousands of words of travelogue, which in the context of 100 years ago, when transportation was inconvenient, cannot be called anything less than a feat. Lady Isabella passed away in Edinburgh in 1904, and doctors published an article in a medical journal, stating that her physiology and psychology exhibited mysterious contradictions. Someone wrote: "She was plagued by diseases at home, but as soon as she went abroad, she became a mighty Samson. How could illness and strength coexist in such an ordinary body? Yet, her situation was such that both ran parallel for many years." Lady Isabella’s researchers believed that people "were completely determined by their environment in terms of the possibility of achieving certain goals," and that harsh environments could maximize the potential of individuals. In fact, her spirit of exploration continues to inspire countless serious social scientists to this day to persevere in their efforts. "1898: A British Woman’s View of China" was hailed by critics as "the most brilliant book of the late 19th century, completely proving the value of China." Today, translating this book aims to provide some materials for those studying modern Chinese history, and it also holds positive practical significance for further understanding and grasping the national conditions of China.